1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to optical devices, and more specifically relates to optical devices that incorporate fluid flow.
2. Background Art
Many different mechanisms and methods have been used over the years to produce optical effects. For example, neon lights have been in widespread use for decades. Disco balls have many small mirrorlettes disposed on the outer edge of a sphere. When a light, such as a spotlight, is directed to a disco ball, the light is reflected by each mirrorlette, resulting in a large number of spots that are all reflected at a slightly different angle, flooding a dance floor below the disco ball with light dots. Lights with multicolor lenses have been used to illuminate flocked Christmas trees. For example, a single circular lens may be divided into four quandrants of different colors. The lens may slowly be rotated by a gearhead motor so that each of the different colors is rotated to be aligned over a light source, such as an incandescent bulb. The result is a flocked (white) Christmas tree that changes between four different colors according to the color of the lens portion that is disposed over the light source. Many other optical effects are known in the art. The present invention is directed to a new system and method for producing an optical effect in a vertical column.